Ningel, located at the eastern foothills of Manipur valley, is a small village of less than a thousand population and it is popularly known for its production of traditional Manipuri salt.
Ningel has three salt wells in which two concrete constructed not so long ago. The oldest of them is made of wood, though its exact date of origin is uncertain but villagers assume the well might be some four hundred years old. This very well has been in existence ever since the first settlement was established in the remote hillside village in the late seventeenth century.
Local villagers collect the salty water from the wells and extract the salt from it, they produce traditional spherical shaped salt plates which they later sold it in the market.
This type of traditional salt production is dated back in the ancient history of Manipur.
Photo Credit: Laishram Ranbir